SoftBank, which owns Sprint, today said it has chosen Sharp to supply it with low-cost smartphones.
The handset deal with Sharp includes Sprint, which will also sell phones made by Sharp. The first such device is a handset called the Sharp Aquos Crystal, which the company revealed today.
The Crystal features an edgeless design. SoftBank believes its combined scale with Sprint will allow it to sell the Sharp Aquos Crystal at a low cost. SoftBank’s announcement coincides with a Sprint event scheduled for August 19. The event invite reads “Time to take the Edge Off,” which could be a reference to the edgeless design of the Aquos Crystal.
According to Sharp, the Crystal includes a 5-inch 720p HD screen, Snapdragon 400 processor, and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Sharp has not sold handsets in the U.S. for several years.